Teen Titans: Shadow of The Bat
by The Crobatman
Summary: Robin recieves a wakeup call from his old life, and as he and his team go to Gotham, they find some disturbing occurences, who is causing these issues?  Why is he targeting members of the Bat-family? Where is Batman? Can Robin face what drove them apart?
1. Wakeup Call

**1**

**Author's Note:**  
><strong>For those of you who read this story before today, I may want to explain a few things for you:<strong>  
><strong> I've been editing some of the chapters of this story, and I realized it may be a better Idea to make them shorter, so as not to be so confusing to the reader.<strong>

**Also, a new chapter HAS been added, so continue to read. **

**PS: Reviews containing questions or thorough critiques will recieve a message in the chapter after the one they reviewed, we'll call it a 'Mail Bag'**

* * *

><p>A collective exasperated sigh emanated from the front room of Titans Tower, as all five of the founding Titans fell onto the black couch in front of the TV. Each and every one of them fell slumped in their seats as they attempted to relax.<br>"I'm so TIRED..." Beast Boy complained, the first to speak of the five after a few minutes of just sitting there.  
>"Cause coordinating all gazillion Honorary Titans into their own cities and areas in the world was SO easy." Raven replied, groaning and slumping lower in her seat, her voice sounded uncharacteristically sincere... She was too tired for sarcasm. Yes, it was THAT bad.<br>"At least we can chill now..." Cyborg tapped a button in the console on his arm, "Whadda ya'll wanna watch?" He asked as the TV in front of them flipped on.  
>"Can I just say it was a genius idea to hook the TV up to Cy's arm?" Beast Boy said, with a bit of energy returning to his green body.<br>"I know." Cyborg smirked as he flipped through channels.  
>"There a game on?" Asked Robin, finally speaking, and returning to his usual upright sitting position.<br>"Honestly, I'd settle for Cartoons right now..." Raven said, unwittingly filling Beast Boy with hope.  
>"Perhaps there is something... Quiet on right now?" Starfire yawned, having finally spoken, she curled up on the couch, closing her big green eyes. She of course was sitting next to Robin, who let her lay her head on his shoulder.<br>"Lets just watch something and relax before-"  
>Robin was cut off by static on the TV and loud groans from the entire team.<br>"Oh man! Why?" Beast Boy whined, shoving his face into his hands.  
>The screen's static cleared up to reveal a face only familiar to one of them.<br>"Robin!" There was a red headed girl, around her late teens on the screen, she looked a little panicked, but relieved at the same time.  
>The Titans looked surprised, especially Robin, who had stood up.<br>"Barb! What are you-? How did-? Who gave you this number?"  
>"Oh please Dick, it's not like you made tracking you down THAT hard, sure it took a few years but-"<br>Starfire interrupted, "Um, Robin? Who is this girl? And why does she call you 'Dick'?"  
>"She's a colleague... An EX-Colleague..."<br>"Ooh, she's a hottie!" Cyborg grinned as he and Beast Boy leaned in closer to Robin.  
>"Alright, seriously Barb, what is it?"<br>"Look, we need you back in Gotham..."  
>"And by 'we', you mean?"<br>"I mean-ugh... He's missing, and the league has NO idea where he is."  
>Robin raised an eyebrow, "So, why would you ask me? If the league can't help, what makes you think I can?"<br>"Cause you knew him better than anyone!"  
>Robin gritted his teeth and clutched the bridge of his nose.<br>"Barb, I'll call you back..."  
>"Hey! Don't you dare hang up on-"<br>With a click, the TV turned off and all attention was focused on Robin.  
>Raven was the first to speak, "So, your real name is Dick?" She said, attempting to clear the mood, Robin however turned and walked toward the back of the room.<br>"I'll be in my room, I have some thinking to do..."  
>he quickly and silently left the room.<br>"Uh... Is he gonna be okay?" Beast Boy asked as they stood in the room.  
>"Yeah, he's actin' a bit more broody than usual..." Cyborg stated, looking over to Starfire and Raven. Raven looked down, "I've been in Robin's mind before, and I saw that girl a few times, they were friends, before..."<br>"Before what?" Starfire pleaded.  
>"I had better go talk to him... in the meantime, you should all pack up, I have a feeling we'll be taking a visit to Gotham City today."<br>Raven left the room following the Boy Wonder, while the three left just looked at each other.  
>Beast Boy piped up, "Pack? Has anyone actually <em>un<em>packed yet?" Starfire and Cyborg just shook their heads and plopped back down onto the couch.


	2. Memories

2

"Who is it?" Robin asked when he heard Raven's footsteps outside his door.  
>"It's me." Raven said through the door. Robin pressed the button that opened it and the Sorceress walked in.<br>"I didn't knock, how did you-?"  
>"It's the training, I could hear you halfway down the hallway... Funny thing about training with the best, the training never goes away. Not that I'd want it to."<br>"Yeah... I wouldn't know. Look, I know you're apprehensive about this ordeal, getting a wake-up call from your old life isn't at all what you want right now... But someone needs our help, and lets face it... That someone has been like a father to you your whole life." It was at this point that Raven realized Robin had taken his mask off.  
>"I know... But I... "<br>"You're having trouble coping, you shouldn't be angry at him anymore, it's been years since..."  
>"I'm not... I just..."<br>Raven stared at him for a minute, then spoke, "You're afraid he's mad at you..."  
>Robin acted surprised at first, but then remembered how she knew.<br>"Sometimes I forget you've been in my head."  
>"Understandable... Robin, we need to go to Gotham, because whether you want to or not, someone needs us... And that person is Batman."<br>Robin clenched his fists, then stopped moving altogether, picking up his mask and sticking it on the bridge of his nose.  
>"You're right, lets go."<p>

As the two walked up the stairs, Raven smiled a little, "Guess I can finally tell her."  
>"What? Who?" Robin asked.<br>"Starfire, she asked me a few months ago what color eyes you had."  
>"Oh..."<br>Robin looked down, he had just barely realized that Starfire, his girlfriend, didn't even know his real first name... and for the first time, he felt guilty about it.

* * *

><p>A bit later, the team made their way out to the t-car for their road trip to Gotham.<br>As they sped down the highway, music blasted through the speakers of the car, Cyborg somehow always knew what music everyone felt like listening to. They arrived in Gotham that night, though they had left that morning. Gotham was quite a distance from Jump City, and by that time, everyone was asleep, Cyborg had turned on the T-Car's auto-drive and was snoozing, Raven and Starfire both leaned on Robin's shoulders, he was fully unaware of this of course, as he had fallen asleep first. Beast Boy had somehow managed to call shotgun and was curled up in the front seat as a dog.  
>THUD.<br>Something made a loud noise which snapped them all awake as Cyborg swerved the car to a stop. The Titans quickly exited the car, to see what had happened.  
>"Look!" Beast Boy pointed to the roof of the T-Car, which now had a sizable dent in it.<br>"Oh man! Why?" Cyborg lamented over his damaged vehicle.  
>Starfire flew up to the top of the car and gasped, "Robin! Come quickly!"<br>Robin obeyed and jumped on top of the car, much to the chagrin of Cyborg, who simply protested to scratching the paint.  
>Robin couldn't believe his eyes, rubbing the lenses on his mask, he realized he was standing over the unconscious body of Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. Easily recognized by the black cowl she wore that allowed her fiery red hair to free fall out the back of it.<br>"Get her into the car, we gotta get outta here..." Robin ordered, to which Cyborg and Beast Boy obeyed and lifted the unmoving girl into the back of the car. Robin jumped into the driver's seat, Cyborg was a bit apprehensive to this at first, but then he realized that Robin knew this city like the back of his hand while Cyborg had never been there before. They all piled back in and Robin made for the nearest exit, slamming on the gas.  
>"Robin where are we going?" Asked Starfire, who held the girl's feet in her lap, as beast boy held the body and Raven focused on trying to read her unconscious mind.<br>"We need to get away from here, this is Crime Alley..."  
>"Is its nature as foreboding as its name?"<br>"You have no idea..."  
>The car ride while Robin was at the wheel was a bit uneventful, with the only speaking being Robin checking with Raven to see if she could see anything. And he always got the same answer.<br>"No, it's a blank..."  
>"Well keep trying, she's got to wake up so she can tell us what happened..."<br>Cyborg looked over to Robin, "You alright dude?"  
>"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"<br>"Just askin'."  
>Robin was most definitely not fine, but all the Titans knew that when Robin said he was fine, he was really saying 'Leave me alone, I'm trying to focus.'<br>After about an hour of driving, Robin truned a corner and started driving offroad istaright toward a cliff.  
>The other Titans freaked,.<br>Robin just tuned their screams and protests and pulled a small, black, bat-shaped device from his utility belt, and pressed the red button on it. At that point, the T-Car drove straight into the wall, they all braced for impact, but it never came, insted, it just got really dark.  
>"Uh... What just happened?" Beast Boy asked as he looked around in the headlight-lit cave they were now driving through.<br>"Just pulled into the garage."  
>Robin said as they pulled to a stop in the dimly-lit cave.<br>"Everyone out."  
>The Titans stepped out of the car,<br>"Robin, where are we? I cannot see a- EEK!"  
>Starfire screamed as the lights flipped on to reveal she had nearly walked right into a giant fake Dinosaur, which she nearly incinerated before Robin grabbed her hands.<br>"Ya don't wanna break anything here babe..."  
>Starfire gave a relieved sigh and kissed Robin on the cheek.<br>"Thank you Robin, I'm sorry I was frightened."  
>"It's not like it's your fault."<br>The two were suddenly interrupted by Cyborg calling them over, "Yo love birds! Help me get Batgirl outta the car!"  
>The Titans put the unconscious Batgirl on the Bat's recovery table under Robin's direction. Meanwhile Beast Boy stood dumbstruck at the amazing museum that was the Batcave.<br>"Oh man, this is better than I ever dreamed! Giant Dinosaur statue! Huge Penny! Tons of stuff from Batman's rogues gallery! I'm in comic-book heaven!"  
>His nerding was met with a slap in the back of the head from Raven.<br>"Hey! What was that for?" He cursed.  
>"Breaking the fourth wall." She replied as she led him over to where Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were.<br>"You know how to work this stuff Rob?" Asked Cyborg as Robin sat down in front of the Bat Computer.  
>"I've used it before, but only once or twice, he may have changed the software... But I doubt it."<br>"Dang, this thing's a thousand times faster than the Titans Computer, what does this thing run on?"  
>"The Maximum 11 processing chip." Robin said as he opened a program that showed how the unconscious patient's body was working in entirety.<br>"What? You're kidding! The max-8 hasn't even been out for a week! How did he get an 11?"  
>"What company manufactures the Maximum processing chips?"<br>"Waynetech eterpri-... Oh."  
>Robin grinned smugly as Cyborg walked back over to the recovery table.<br>"Great... She's in a coma..." Robin said, gritting his teeth.  
>"How long is she gonna be out?"<br>"Batcomp says a week, looks like we're on our own..." Robin stood up, and walked over to the table with the others.  
>"Robin, is this girl the one from the tower?" Asked Starfire, pulling Batgirl's cowl off her head.<br>"Yeah, she and I were partners before... Never mind."  
>Starfire was going to ask what, but something in the way the other Titans, especially Raven, looked at her, told her to drop it.<br>And without warning she sneezed, launchIng snotbolts in all directions.  
>"Hit the dirt!" Beast boy yelled as they all ducked.<br>"*Sniff* I'm sorry friends... But I- Achoo!" Sneezing again, the heat from her Snotbolt singed Robin's hair.  
>"Metallic Chromium?" Asked Robin, Starfire covered her mouth and nose.<br>"I believe so, yes..."  
>"I may not be the world's greatest detective... But I don't think there's any Metallic Chromium in this cave." Raven said, looking around.<br>"Wait a minute..." Robin grabbed the mask from Starfire's hands as she prepared to sneeze again, and was luckily contained by a force field produced by Raven.  
>"Bless you."<br>"Thank you Raven... *Sniff*"  
>Robin tore a piece of Barbara's cape off her suit, and threw the mask and fabric into the computer's analysis tray.<br>"Computer, analyze atomic makeup." He said, immediately the computer laser scanned it and the screen showed all the contained atoms.  
>"As I thought... There are remote traces of Metallic Chromium on her costume, but it looks focused, like blunt force striking certain parts of the head and her back through her cape... Like a baseball bat. I'm guessing whoever did this gave her a chemical compound injection first to put her in a coma, but she kept fighting, so he then beat her into unconsciousness. We found her once the chemical coma took effect."<br>"Wow, ya figure that all by yourself?" Cyborg questioned as the other Titans looked at the boy wonder as if he had grown pointy ears and had begun wearing a cowl.  
>"Yeah... " Robin grinned slightly nostalgically, "Batman would have my head for not figuring it out sooner."<br>"So how did she wind up on the top of the T-car?" Beast Beast boy inquired. Robin stood up and walked over to the rest of the Titans and the unconscious victim. He silently turned her head around and confirmed his suspicion, pointing out a large, round bruise on the back of Barbara's head, just between where her neck and head connected.  
>"Poor girl..." Cyborg lamented.<br>"She put up a fight, she's as good at martial arts as me, maybe better, but as far as I can tell, she'll be out for a week and we have no way of finding Batman... No leads, except for  
>this ultra rare metal which my girlfriend happens to be allergic to."<br>Starfire smiled when Robin called her his girlfriend, though she knew that now was not the time for such frivolity. She didn't care.  
>"Would it be so hard for you to use the front door Master Dick?"<br>An old man's British accent came from the Batcave's main door.  
>"Alfred!" Robin smiled, as did Alfred who calmly walked down the stairs toward his surrogate-grandson and his friends.<br>"I assume the guest beds will be being used tonight. " Alfred smiled as Robin gave the old man a light hug.  
>"Yeah, nice to see you again old man..."<br>"Good to have you back, son."


	3. Gotham

3

That night, after extensive and exhausting research, (fueled by two things, Robin's obsessive need to work, and an intense amount of coffee.), the Titans finally decided to turn in for the night, Cyborg slept in the Batcave, using an adapter to charge his battery, Starfire and Raven shared the guest bedroom. Robin and Beast Boy would have been sleeping in Robin's old room, but Robin stayed up on a laptop, to the extreme annoyance of Beast Boy, who decided 'screw it', and slept on the couch in the front room.  
>The night dragged on as the boy wonder, in a white t-shirt and black gym shorts. He clutched the bridge of his nose in frustration after finding no links between Metallic Chromium and other recent crimes. It was then he realized that he was still wearing his domino mask. He shut down his computer, and slowly pulled his mask off. He stared at his reflection in the screen for a minute, and started messing with his hair until it hung down in a 'bad boy' fashion... He slowly slipped into a memory, one distant but as fresh as if it happened yesterday.<p>

* * *

><p>The dynamic duo dashed through a warehouse, the two of them in pursuit of a long-time enemy. Robin wore a costume different from his current one, at least his mask was more rounded and his hair hung down rather than his spike. They rounded a corner, and their foe stood with someone at gunpoint. The person had a bag over her head, her assailant laughed like the maniac he was, grinning his sick perpetual grin on his clammy white face.<br>"C'mon now dynamic dumbos! Ya gonna take me down? Or let your little lady here accidentally splatter her pretty little brains all over this room?"  
>"Seriously, Joker, do NOT call us that... Reminds me of a time when I was too stupid to wear pants." Robin quipped, semi-glaring at his partner.<br>"You designed your costume, not me." Batman replied.  
>"Oh bats! You may wanna have a look over here!" Joker cackled as he ripped the bag off her head, it revealed that the woman was Barbara Gordon. Batman narrowed his eyes as Robin stood shocked and enraged.<br>"Ooh! Little mad bird boy? Hahaha! This little cutie your little squeeze?" Joker cocked the gun.  
>"Don't touch her!" Robin yelled, raising a Birdarang.<br>"Robin! Don't!"  
>"Don't!" Asked Robin, intense anger raising his voice. Dick and Barbara had been dating for months, Bruce knew it, and now he was telling him not to save her?<br>"Ooh! Looks like little Robin is having a temper tantrum! I think the kid needs some - ack!" Joker suddenly received an elbow in his gut. Barbara had worked her elbow out of the knots she was tied in, and had begun whaling on Joker. Dick only stared in wonder as Joker passed out and Barbara walked up to them.  
>"Well that was fun, now what?"<br>"We still have to get to the top of Wayne Tower, Joker's goons planted bombs there and if we don't stop it, innocent people will die."  
>Said Batman, tossing a pile of Black-and-yellow cloth to her.<br>"Figured you could use this." Bruce said walking past them, "Change, now, we dont have much time."  
>Barbara donned her cowl as Robin stood dumbstruck, a million thoughts going through his head. His girlfriend was Batgirl? How didn't he see it before? Batman knew and didn't tell him? The questions burned through his mind, blowing the already short fuse that was his temper.<p>

* * *

><p>Robin held his hands in his face as he thought, this place brought back too many happy and painful memories.<br>His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, "Who is it?" he asked, snapping his head up.  
>"It is I, Robin, may I enter?" Starfire asked through the door.<br>"Oh, sure..." Robin said, getting up.  
>Starfire walked in and Robin suddenly felt a bit tense, it was blatantly obvious she hadn't been sleeping much, beside that she wore naught but a tank top and boyshorts that Robin had lent her to sleep in.<br>"I could not sleep..."  
>"Why not?" Robin asked, sitting on the side of his bed.<br>"I was worried... About you."  
>Robin raised an eyebrow, "Why would you be worried about me Star?"<br>"Because I know you well enough to know that when you get on a course of action, you will refuse to rest until you have put it to rest."  
>Robin couldn't help but smile at how well she knew him. She sat down on his bed next to him.<br>"Raven told me your eyes were blue..." She said staring at his eyes. He felt a bit uncomfortable as she stared, but he didn't mind as much as he thought he would.  
>"You have beautiful eyes Robin, why do you not show them off more?" Starfire said cheerfully, Robin blushed a little, but she couldn't see it in the darkness.<br>"The mask protects my secret identity Star."  
>"Why would you want to keep your identity a secret? Does not everyone know your name is Robin?"<br>Robin smiled again, remembering that he was the only member of the Titans who kept his real name a secret.  
>"The reason I have the mask, is so the people close to me don't get hurt by my enemies should they find out my identity."<br>Starfire felt confused, "Robin... What is your real identity?" She asked, clasping his hand in a grip like a vice.  
>"Richard John Grayson."<br>Starfire paused as she looked him over, as if he had become another person entirely.  
>"Uh, Starfire... Are you okay?"<br>She shook her head and smiled, "I am better than okay... I like your name, Richard..."  
>"My friends call me Dick."<br>"Dick then..." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him, he did the same. They kissed for a minute, until Grayson pulled away.  
>"We need some sleep... G'night"<br>"Yes.." Starfire stood up and walked just outside his door, "Good night... Dick Grayson."


	4. Part 4

4

The next morning, Beast Boy awoke to the smell of breakfast, he dashed into the kitchen where he found Starfire and Alfred making breakfast.  
>"Hey! That smells great!"<br>"Good morning, Master Beast Boy. Your friend Starfire alerted me of your vegetarian tendencies." Alfred said, as he slid a plate across the counter. "Your breakfast is already done."  
>Beast Boy excitedly licked his lips at the sight of the beautiful, vegetarian food on his plate.<br>"Tofu bacon, Tofu Eggs, and... Are these pancakes topped with gobs of apricot jam, whipped cream and a cherry on top?" Beast Boy drooled over the food.  
>"Blueberry of course." Alfred said, continuing to fix breakfast for the other Titans with Starfire.<br>"Starfire, I never wanna leave this place!" Beast Boy said, his mouth full of food.  
>"I can surely agree, the food is always fresh and it would appear that any mess that is made simply vanishes!" Starfire smiled as she attempted to balance a massive plate of waffles, which in Beast Boy's mind was for one of two people, Raven or Cyborg.<br>As if on cue, Rae and Cy appeared in the dining room.  
>"Aw yeah, I can smell some serious breakfast goin' down!" Cyborg said, as he caught the smell of morning-food-goodness.<br>Starfire slid the massive waffle plate over to Cyborg, just before Raven promptly snatched it and started eating as Cyborg gave her a look that screamed 'whoa'.  
>Eventually, everyone had eaten, including Alfred, who had settled for a cup of tea.<br>Except for Robin, who was still in his room.  
>"Is Robin still asleep?" Asked Beast Boy, using a toothpick.<br>"He didn't come up for Breakfast, is he-?"  
>"I shall go check..." Starfire took a plate of warm food and floated down to Robin's room, she went in to find that the bed was empty, and that Robin was missing.<br>She came back up and told everyone, and they all started to worry, they were about to leave when they noticed that Alfred wasn't worried at all.  
>"Er... Alfred, you okay?"<br>"Perfectly fine, Master Cyborg."  
>"Aren't you the least bit worried about Robin?" Asked Raven, raising an eyebrow.<br>"Not at all."  
>The Titans stood there, eyes wide, "Why not? Robin is missing and we have no idea where he is!" Starfire squealed, Alfred calmly stood up. "Because I know exactly where he is."<p>

* * *

><p>Robin pulled hard, lifting his chin up over the bar multiple times before swinging his body up and over it. He was in the Wayne manor Gym, out of uniform of course, working out. He swung from the acro bar to another across from it, he felt a bit nostalgic, remembering using this gym constantly before leaving. After swinging from his arms to his legs and back again, he flipped into a triple-backflip and landed on the soft mat. Moving over to the bench, sitting down and taking a swig from the water bottle there.<br>"Dick!" Starfire said, floating into the gym. The non-masked Robin stood up and smiled, "Hey guys, ready to head out?"  
>The group looked around the massive gym, it felt like it belonged back in Titans Tower, just bigger and with more stuff to do.<br>"Dang, this is where you used to work out Rob?" Asked Cyborg, lifting a Barbell.  
>"Yeah, heck of a gym, used to come in here whenever I needed to blow off some steam or train."<br>"You never do that at home!" Beast Boy said, trying to lift the weight that Cyborg attempted, and failing.  
>Robin shrugged, "Guess there's somethin' about this place that just helps."<p>

The Titans returned to the Batcave, Alfred led them down. "You'll have to excuse Master Dick, he's showering.  
>"Remind me to thank him for that." Said Raven as they made their way toward the still-unmoving Batgirl.<br>"Alright, Robin did all he could tryin' to find stuff on the web, now it's time to head out and see if we can see anything suspicious here in Gotham." Cyborg said, unlocking the T-Car.  
>"You guys take the T-car, I'll take my own mode of transportation." Said a voice from behind them, it was easily recognized as Robin.<br>The team looked at him as if he was someone completely different, he was wearing a completely new outfit.  
>His shirt remained Red, though it was obviously made of kevlar and had a thin black stripe down the middle with Three yellow straps on it. the big difference was that where there used to be green, there was now black. Black gloves, black pants, black short sleeves. His mask also changed ever-so-slightly,it was more angled, rather than the round design of his old mask. Another change was his hairstyle, it hung down ((AU:<strong>Think: Young Justice style :)<strong>))  
>"Wow"<br>"Dang"  
>"You look good." Said Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven respectively.<br>"Thanks, I've been meaning to get a wardrobe change for a while, just never had the supplies back in Jump."  
>"Your outfit is very nice Robin!" Starfire said excitedly, floating up to him as he walked down the steps and headed for the Bat-garage. He pressed a button, and a black-and-red variant of his R-Cycle was lifted out from the underground garage.<br>"So he gets two motorcycles and I don't get a moped? What a rip!" Said Beast Boy, disgruntled.  
>"Just get in the car BB, we'll meet ya on the streets Robin." Cyborg grinned, and Robin smiled and nodded.<br>As the team made it outdoors, Alfred contacted them via Radio, "Gotham's East End is a good place to start if you're looking for crime. Master Robin will lead you there."  
>"You got it, lets move!"<br>The Titans made their way to the east end, completely unaware that someone was watching them, from the roof of Wayne manor stood a figure they would find both very familiar, and very unfamiliar.  
>"They're headed to the East end." Said he, his voice sounded eerily similar to Robin's, though a bit higher and gruffer.<br>"Excellent, my men will meet them and give them a proper welcome to Gotham... Follow them and make sure they get there safely"  
>"Understood."<p> 


	5. The Shadow of the Bat

5

Gotham's East End was notorious for its crime rate, so much so that the Dark knight spent the vast majority of his crime-fighting career in the East End. The buildings were old, and several were infested or in disrepair. Streets covered in litter, walls coated with about three layers of graffiti, and an extreme amount of stress cracks in the pavement. The roaring motors and heavy tires of the T-Car and R-Cycle didn't help the street's condition, but that was the last thing on Robin's mind as they rode through the city, he radioed the others. "Okay team, let's split up at this next intersection. Star, Raven, you two take to the skies, Cyborg, Beast Boy, go right. I'll take left." They continued until the split was made just to Robin's instructions, and just like that, they were off.  
>Raven and Starfire watched as their friends split up, soaring higher until they could see the entirety of the East End.<br>"I hope the boys will be alright." Starfire said, floating closer to her levitating companion.  
>"They'll be fine... At least Robin will be."<br>"You are worried for Cyborg and Beast Boy?"  
>"Cyborg, yes, Beast Boy, no."<br>"Why is that?"  
>"He's stuck with the one I'm not worried about." Raven said, oddly sincere in the sarcastic comment.<br>Starfire and Raven looked around, continuing to search for anything that could possibly be suspicious, when Starfire piped up with "Raven, what is that?" She pointed across the city towards a large flare of red smoke.  
>"It's a distress flare, either someone needs help, or it's a trap."<br>"Should we look into it?"  
>"Do we want to take that chance?"<br>Raven stared at Starfire, she was silently pleading to go check it out, you could see it in her eyes.  
>"Fine, lets go..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Figures Robin would send us to the creepier part of town... " Cyborg complained as Beast Boy stuck his head out the window.<br>"Amusement Mile? That doesn't sound too bad..." He said after reverting to human form from his dog form.  
>"Dude, who are you kidding, we're in Gotham city, Gotham-freakin'-city, let's not forget who runs these streets."<br>"You think we might run into-?" Beast Boy's sentence was cut short by a loud gunshot and the cracking of the bulletproof back window of the T-Car. It swerved to a stop and Cyborg jumped out of the driver's seat, Sonic Cannon primed.  
>"Alright, who's the joker who shot my baby?" He yelled, unknowing who had caused the accident.<br>"Uh, Cyborg?" Beast Boy said, having gotten out of the car as well. He pointed to their assailant who was standing about ten yards behind them, with a sheer look of terror on his face. Cyborg gasped and instantly regretted his original choice of words.

* * *

><p>Robin skidded to a halt as he rode into a closed-down section of road. He took off his helmet and had a look around, looking the area over for anythign suspicious. He then llooked back to the closed section of the road. And once again, his detective training with the Bat kicked in, and he realized that this road was over fifty years old, nobody drove down it anymore. Yet these signs looked brand new. He took a closer look, staring down the seemingly empty road ahead of him. Returning to his R-Cycle, he rode right through the signs, breaking them to splinters.<br>He drove for about a mile, until he realized he was very near the old Sionis Steel mill. Once again, Robin skidded to a halt. This time parking his bike in a corner and turning on the cloaking device. Walking for a moment, he could see that there was actually a massive hole in the road, and from this he could infer that it led to the City's sewers.  
>"Why would there be a blocked road that led to the sewers dead end?" He thought aloud. His eyes widened as he heard a click behind him.<br>"Nice to see you again, Bird Boy... Where's the Bat? I was hoping I wouldn't waste every bullet I had on your puny body."

Robin turned to see a tall man wearing a an inky skull-like mask all around his head, as well as a white suit and tie. Behind him stood a gang of burly men cracking their knuckles and grinning like mad, likely at the prospect of taking down the kid who had given them so much trouble in the past. He recognized the man as Roman Sionis, otherwise known by his supervillain-mob boss name, The Black Mask.

"Black Mask... Should have guessed you'd be involved in this..." Robin said, pulling his retractable Steel bar from his belt and extending it.  
>"Oh come on Boy Wonder, have I ever been one to plan the demise of my enemies?" Black Mask smirked as he paced slowly to the right of Robin.<br>"Yes." Robin said, gripping his staff.  
>"Rhetorical sarcasm, learn the language." Black Mask shot at Robin three times. To which Robin responded with three instant and precise blocks from his bar.<br>"You're good, the Bat teach you that?" Mask said, putting his gun away.  
>"Actually, someone else." Robin grinned and pole-vaulted off his staff onto the closest thug, landing on his shoulders and forcing him to drop, he was then punched in the back of the head by a burly man in a black wife beater. Hit with a headache and dizziness, Robin was still undeterred, swinging his staff around and hitting his attacker in the gut, returning around and hitting him three times before swinging around the bar and double-kicking him. He was then nearly tackled by two guys, but he turned and countered them both with his bar, the first in the head, the second in the neck.<br>"These guys the best you got Mask? If fought tougher kids!" Robin smarted off as he smashed one thug's nose against his knee.  
>"You think I'd really waste my best men on the sidekick?"<br>Robin's eyes widened, then narrowed. One of the thugs started to choke him in a headlock.  
>"I'm nobody's sidekick..." He choked under his breath, launching his elbow into the gut of his assailant, striking him three or four times... It was hard to tell, he moved his fists so quickly.<br>Robin, now running on adrenaline and anger, made short work of the remaining members of Roman's gang.  
>When the dust cleared, he turned to Black Mask, who was clapping slowly, "I have to say, I didn't think you'd finish them that damned quickly."<br>Robin just glared, retracting his staff.  
>"What do you know about Batman's disappearance?"<br>"Everything I'm not going to tell you." Mask smirked arrogantly, but he didn't expect to be attacked, and that's just what happened. Robin stunned him by stabbing the end of his bar into Black Mask's neckbone pressurepoint, then grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him against the nearby wall.  
>"Tell me what you know, or I'll-"<br>"You'll what?" Black Mask jeered, obviously unimpressed by Robin's display and anger. All this did was tick him off even further.  
>"Tell me what you know!" Robin repeated himself, tightening his grip.<br>"Alright, kid, I'll tell you..."  
>Robin almost smiled in triumph, that is, if he had time. No sooner had Mask yielded, that Robin was struck in the back of the head. Hard.<br>As Robin lay unconscious on the ground, Black Mask brushed himself off.  
>"I paged you fifteen minutes ago, you couldn't have shown up sooner?"<br>"Sorry mask, here I thought you could handle one punk kid for ten extra minutes... My mistake, won't happen again."  
>"He's older than you, X." Black Mask replied, snapping his fingers as two of his now-conscious thugs picked up the boy wonder.<br>Red X had been watching the Titans movements, naturally under his own motive.  
>"Somehow being lectured by a fourteen-year old chips my shoulder, call me crazy." Black Mask held his gun up to Red X's head.<br>"I save your ass and you thank me by holding a gun to my head, that's cold even for you, Roman. Think for a sec Mask, do you think he'd be happy if you blew my head off? Think you'd be able to hide if you betrayed him?"  
>Black Growled under his breath, he wouldn't let anyone talk down to him like that, not without pumping them with lead. But he couldn't touch Red X... If their plan was going to work, they needed him.<br>Sionis put the Gun in his holster, "You're a lucky little son of a bat, you know that?"  
>"Luck has nothing to do with it." X replied, Launching a grappling line up and flying away, he muttered, "You have no idea."<p>

* * *

><p>Starfire and Raven landed nimbly onto a grim street, one that just so happened to be very nearby the Monarch Theatre. Neither of them knew the significance of this building. Yet. The two girls walked around.<br>"Raven, are you sensing anything?"  
>"Yeah... Ow..." Raven rubbed her temples, she sensed that something very dark happened here, an event that set into motion something intensely powerful and pivotal.<br>"Follow me." Raven said, she rounded a corner, and came to a streetlamp.  
>"Why would this streetlight still be working? All others are either broken or gone." Starfire observed. The Titans had been searching all day, and the sun had barely set over the gloomy skyline of Gotham.<br>"Starfire... Look."  
>Raven pointed to the ground where the lamp's light shone most intensely.<br>Starfire gasped, there was chalk, fairly newly drawn, in the outline of two bodies, a man and a woman.  
>"I know what I'm sensing..."<br>"What is it?"  
>"Death."<br>Raven stared down at the outlines, she searched her memories for anything she knew that could tell her what happened here. Reasoning that she had the entirety of Dick Grayson's and her own memory and vast knowledge of crimes that took place in dark cities like Gotham.  
>"Raven, I must know your thoughts..."<br>Raven opened her eyes as a tear slid down her cheek, she was surprised at first, wiping it off. Then it hit her like a brick.  
>"Starfire, this is the Death site of Thomas and Martha Wayne..."<br>"Who are they?"  
>"Robin was raised by Bruce Wayne..."<br>"And Bruce Wayne... Is the Batman, yes?"  
>"Yes."<br>Raven once again felt the emotions about the blood that ran here. Wiping her eyes trying to keep from crying.  
>"This is the deathplace of Bruce Wayne as well."<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"Deathplace of Bruce Wayne... Birthplace of Batman."<p>

Starfire frowned, she did not understand the significance of this 'Batman', all she knew was who he is, and that he raised Robin. Questions raced through her head, questions that had been burning for months.  
>"Raven, you must let me know... What happened to Robin? What does Batman have to do with it?"<br>"Honestly Starfire...It's for the best that you ask him, not me."


	6. I Quit

"Can't speak kiddies? I'm a bit disappointed! Where's bird boy and your two pretty friends boys?" The Joker grinned at the currently-distraught Beast Boy and Cyborg. The two had Heard stories about the psychopathic clown. The man who had killed and nearly killed millions of people.

"Alright Joker, we don't want any trouble..."  
>"Well that's just no fun Cyborg! Here I was all set to play a little game!"<br>"What kinda game?" Cyborg asked, raising his human eyebrow.  
>"Duude! You do NOT ask the JOKER that!" Beast Boy interjected, this made Joker simply hysterical, laughing that creepy laugh of his.<br>"And here I thought you'd enjoy a lesson in comedy Beast Boy!"  
>"Hey! I'm plenty funny! I don't need to learn anything!"<br>"Oh come on now, there's always something to learn! Let's start with; getting your ass kicked 101." Joker snapped his fingers and about a dozen thugs wearing clown masks jumped down from the buildings above them.  
>"Seconds out!" Joker said, taking out a knife.<br>Cyborg and BB somehow managed to fight off the clowns, including one hulking man who used a giant sledgehammer.  
>"Oh boys, this is getting boring! Maybe Mr. Happy will spice things up!" Joker jeered.<br>Out of nowhere, a huge, deformed, monstrous man wearing a torn purple pinstriped suit came and with one swipe of his hand knocked Cyborg to the ground.  
>"Cyborg!" Beast Boy cried, running to Cy's unconscious dented body.<br>"C'mon, wake up Tin Man!"  
>"Ooh, looks like Borgy's down for the count! Can Beast Boy avenge his fallen friend? Oh I certainly hope so! This is intense!" Joker grinned, staring as the frightened beast boy squared off against the hulking thug.<br>"Geez he's big..." He thought to himself, and on impulse jumped out of the way of another swipe from the big guy's hands. "How did he get so big!" Beast Boy continued to think, then he realized he was thinking too much and managed to transform into a gorilla.  
>In a few moments, Gorilla Boy finally managed to get an edge on the monster thug. Then things took a turn.<br>"Oh boys! This may not be a good time, but it seems the bomb I set to go off here an hour ago is set to go off in about two minutes! Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll get out of here while the gettin's good!  
>Joker laughed as he and the giant thug made their exit in a helicopter that just so happened to be just above them.<br>"Oh come on!" Beast Boy yelled as Joker and his giant henchman made their escape . His ears drooped when he saw that the timer on n the bomb was set to go off in 1:32.  
>"Cyborg! We've got to-... Oh no..."<br>Cyborg lay there on the dirty ground, on closer inspection, Beast Boy saw that Cy's systems were completely offline. The impact from the monster's attack caused his battery to leak.  
>"C'mon Tin Man... We gotta get you outta here..." Beast boy transformed into a gorilla, picked Cyborg up and clambered up the nearest building, getting over it just before the massive explosion went off behind it..<br>"Phew." Beast Boy thought, averting his near-death experience.  
>"Lets get back to base, maybe Alfred can help fix you..." He thought as he put Cy in the back into the T-car, which ever-so-luckily was out of reach of the explosion.<p>

In the midst of his sadness at his friend's misfortune... He felt accomplishment at something he had never done before.

Drive the T-Car.

* * *

><p>Raven and Starfire had left the scene of the Wayne family's death, after Raven paid her respects to the deaths of two great people, the parents of Batman, grandparents of Robin.<br>Starfire wondered in her naive mind how truly great this 'Bat-man' must be, it seemed to her that all of the other Titans most certainly thought him as something special.  
>"Starfire, there's nothing else to look for here, we need to regroup with Robin and the others."<br>"Yes, we have found little here of interest to Batgirl's misfortune or the disappearance of the Batman."  
>"Good for a history lesson though." Raven said, picking up her communicator.<br>Titans, we need to regroup, there's nothing here to find, and it's getting dark."  
>There was no answer.<br>"Robin? Beast Boy? Cyborg?" Are you there?" Raven asked, the worry in her voice was easily detectable.  
>"Raven? What is wrong?"<br>"The boys aren't picking up... We need to find them, fast."  
>Though both girls knew that all three of their male Titan friends could certainly hold their own in a fight, neither of them could help but feel worried... <p>

* * *

><p>Robin slowly opened his eyes, shaking his head, he became conscious that the light shining directly in his eyes was blinding him, he quickly blinked a few times, then sat up.<br>"It's about time you woke up... I was beginning to think you never would."  
>Said a voice from the end of the room. As he looked around, Robin became aware that he was in a prison cell.<br>"Where am I?"  
>"Safe, for now." Replied the voice.<br>"Who are you?"  
>"So many questions, and here I thought Batman had taught you everything there is to know about being a detective, I'd think you'd have figured it all out by now."<br>There was a very slight British accent in the voice of his captor, Robin studied his mind, desperately trying to remember where he had heard this voice before. Then it hit him like a brick.  
>"Ra's Al Ghul..."<br>"Very good, I suppose you are a worthy protégé to the Detective." Ra's said, stepping into the light.  
>"What are you planning Ra's? Where's Batman?" Robin questioned angrily, as Ra's approached the bars of the prison cell.<br>"You're not really in much position to be asking questions, now are you, Boy Wonder?"  
>Robin gritted his teeth, scowling at the man before him, whose face remained expressionless, as if he didn't know what to think of the boy.<br>Robin had only met Ra's once before, and it was a very sore memory to him...

* * *

><p>Flashback<p>

* * *

><p>Robin shot his grapnel launcher up the building as Batman and Batgirl did, still angry and sore over not being told about Batgirl's identity, but he figured he would let it pass for now, at least until Wayne Co. was safe.<br>The bat trio made it up the top of the building, and were greeted by a familiar face, though certainly not a friendly one..  
>"Detective, I see the clown couldn't keep you and your... family.. occupied long, could he? I suppose it was to be expected."<br>"You were in hiding, Ra's, why team up with Joker?"  
>"I'd hardly call our relationship a 'team-up'... After all, he was but the decoy. Even given a job so simple, he somehow managed to foul it up... SO I suppose I'll have to deal with you myself."<br>Ra's snapped his fingers and about twenty or so ninjas appeared out of almost nowhere, leaping from the shadows and the sides of the buildings.  
>With a glance, Robin and Batman sprung into action, Robin taking on the Ninjas while the Dark Knight handling Ra's.<br>Batgirl in the meantime took the distraction as a chance to defuse the bomb. She opened the hatch on the front, and began fiddling with who knows what.  
>Robin saw her and just used the anger fuel to continue fighting against the League of Shadows ninjas.<br>The ninjas were on the ground, and Batman had Ra's in a half nelson, from which the near-immortal man couldn't break out.  
>"Stop!"<br>A woman's voice was heard from the edge of the roof.  
>"You have won, beloved." She said again, she walked into the scene and batman let Ra's lay gasping for breath.<br>Robin recognized her as Talia Al Ghul, Ra's' daughter, he also knew there was something between her and his mentor.  
>"I did it! We're safe!" Barbara said as she held a handful of wires triumphantly. Robin put a hand on her shoulder, "We need to talk." He growled.<br>"Yeah. We do." Batgirl said, wrenching her shoulder away from Robin's vice-like grip.

"I am sorry, beloved, but I cannot allow my father's plan to go awry like this." Talia said, as she pulled a detonator from her pocket.

"Talia, no!" Yelled Batman, but he already knew it was too late, the bomb had started beeping again, this time at a much faster rate.  
>In a swift movement, Batman grabbed both of his protégés and glided off the building.<p>

The bomb exploded, the entire skyscraper's top was gone in a fiery shockwave.  
>When the dust cleared, Batman, robin, and Batgirl stood in a dank alley just beneath the burning building.<br>"Why didn't you tell me? Barked Robin to Batgirl.  
>"I didn't think I had to, and you weren't exactly honest with me either." She said, scowling at the Boy Wonder.<br>"But you told him!" Robin barked again, pointing to the Dark Knight, who had been observing this spat silently.

"He knew." Batgirl replied, inadvertently surprising and severely pissing Dick off, he rounded on Batman, fuming.

"It wasn't my place to tell you." Batman lamented bitterly.

"But it was your place to put her in danger!" Robin squared off against Batman, the fourteen year old was running on so much adrenaline right now, he could kill a bear.  
>Barbara cut in, "It wasn't like that! I volunteered!"<p>

Robin turned his head and looked at her, "You _think _you did! You don't know him like I do! He manipulates, pulls strings, anything to get what he wants!"

To this, Barbara was going to reply, but realized it was no use... and backed off, in the few months they'd been dating, she had never seen him so angry before.

"I thought we had the same goals." Batman said coldy to Dick, who rounded on him. "Things change! I've changed!"

There was a brief intense pause, "The game's over Batman!" Robin finally said, tearing off his long yellow cape, and rounded mask.

"I quit." He muttered hatefully, pulling a grapnel launcher from his utility belt.  
>"Robin." Batman said, reaching his hand out to his shoulder, when in one, final, wrathful yell, Robin turned and punched Batman in the jaw, knocking him off his feet. Batgirl gasped in horror and ran to Batman's side as he rubbed his chin.<p>

Robin launched his grapnel hook and swung away quickly, leaving the horrified Batgirl and a physically, and emotionally, hurt Batman.

* * *

><p>End Flashback<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AU: Let me know how I'm doing with this! Pointers? Questions?<br>I'll respond next time! I didn't really get enough reviews for the last chapter, but I'll do mailbag for sure next time!  
>Review and make me feel good if you want this story to continue!<strong>

**-TheNewBatman**


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